A leaked image claims to show the back plate for the iPad 5. The image was sent to 9to5Mac by a purported China-based accessory maker.

While we cannot confirm that the above image is legitimate, it does provide a solid representation of what Apple’s next iPad will likely look like. We were told this is a prototype back piece for the fifth-generation iPad with a 9.7-inch display. We were also told that the casing is almost as thin as the iPad mini’s back (pictured to the right). As you can see at the top of the purported iPad 5 backplate, this casing would likely be for an LTE model – as the black antenna cut implies…

The leak falls in line with a recent report that Apple is working on an iPad 5 with a similar design to the iPad mini for release in October.